chilimak

I agree. I liked the early start time. We headed to wal mart after eating our pumpkin pie and we were home and in bed by 1:00. Got up around 8 am and headed out again for more shopping. I got just about everything I wanted and got my sleep too. I hope they do it this way again this year.

My hometown of Edinboro PA for Wal Mart, then on to Erie PA for everything else.

I always get the cheap dvds and video games. I think we still have 1 or 2 Wii games still unopened in the family room, but of course I will be grabbing up more on BF. I also like the cheap kitchen items at Wal Mart. Stuff like the storage containers set for $6, the $5 chopper things, etc. I always come home with something like that every year. Oh, I also love the $5 memory cards too, and get those every year.

I had a great Black Friday!! Got just about everything I was after. Loved my wal mart experience. I got sooo lucky that some very nice ladies (customers) were standing in front of the $10 Wii games and helped everyone. They could slip their hands inside the celophane, and created various "piles" of game requests for those around them. Then, when 10 pm came, we just grabbed our piles and distributed selected games to their people, and we were on our way. Everyone was polite and orderly, it was AMAZING!! I got 4 Wii games. Wal Mart: 4 $10 Wii games $5 Yogi Bear DVD $5 Ice Age Christmas DVD $49 Kodak digital camera, $5 case, and $5 sd card $99 blue Wiil console $200 Compaq laptop 2 X box games $6.88 storage containers After wal mart, we went home to snack, then to bed. Dh wanted the $49 tree at Home Depot, but he didn't want to get up early to get it. So, we headed out shopping around 9:30 am just to see what we could get. To our surprise, we scored the last one!!!! Yea!!! Also got the AA/AAA batterie combo packs for $10, and the last 2 of the $5 LED light sets. We got a few other items too, like lights for the new tree and a roof rake. After that we headed to TRU. OMG, even at 11 am the lines were clear to the back of the store!!!! I have NEVER seen it that busy at the time on BF!!! What was up with that??? Usually I can just breeze in and out of TRU the mid morning of BF. I didn't buy anything there. Then it was on to the mall. It was its usual business, but the lines went pretty fast at Sears and JCPenney, so that was good. I got PJ's and 2 Christmas sweatshirts at JCPenneys. After we got home, I ordered a few things from Fingerhut: Garmin GPS Just Dance 3 MLB Nicktoons DS game I know I pay more for stuff there, but I can pay over time which is sometimes necessary. Tried to get the Innotab there, but they are sold out. I will probably order it online from Sears or JC Penneys. It is the main thing on my youngest childs list. Overall, it was a fun and successful BF. Now, time to rearrange the living room to prepare for putting the tree up.

I got all of them through the Sunday paper the last couple of weeks. The stores also have them available. I have seen them in wal mart and TRU.

My 9 yr. old ds has 2 pillow pets and loves them both. We got him the polar bear last year when he had surgery on his elbow. It made a great fun and comfy place to rest his recouperating arm. He also sleeps with it and takes it to school when they have a read a thon day. He also has one for his favorite team and uses it to watch the games on tv. Before the game he brings down his pillow pet, this team blanket, and his fave. stuffed bear dressed in team gear. He is such a loyal fan of his Browns.

I live for McDonald's Egg Nog milkshakes this time of year. Its not the holiday season until I have one, lol. Love it!!!!

OMG, this is the exact same thing that happened at my local wal mart, lol. Mine is in Edinboro, PA. Where is your store?

I was in Build a Bear today and had 3 $5.00 off purchase of $25. coupons that expired at the end of the month. I saw a lady making 2 bears and had a basket of clothes too, so I gave her 2 of the coupons. She was grateful. I was only using 1 and I would rather see someone be able to use them. My husband stayed with my 2 older tween kids at wal mart to get an Xbox 360 at 5 am. One of the people waiting in line was an off duty wal mart employee. My daughter told me he shared his snacks of candy and chips with them. I thought that was nice.

Wow Elena, I wish I had as good an experience as you at wal mart. We got to our wal mart around 10:45. My son got a ticket for XBox 360 and was first in that line in frozen food section. I wandered around the store mainly in toys gathering up stuff to price match and seeing where the sale stuff I wanted was located. Around 11:15 or so, people started puting sale stuff in their carts and none of the employees were stopping them, so I did the same. This was mostly toys and housewares stuff. They kept the dvds and video games covered. Around 11:45 or so the employees opened the boxes and everyone was pushy. A lady in front of me grabbed up all the zhu zhu pet games!!! The whole area was super congested, it was awful. I did manage to get a few video games and movies I wanted though. I also got all the toys I wanted except for the newer zhu zhu pets. They never found the ones for the sale. No one had any. People were just taking the original ones from the regular toy dept. I did manage to price match Blendy Pens for $12.49 (TRU price) and Zhu Zhu Pets Pizza playset for $17. (TRU price) At Wal Mart I got Paper Jamz for $30, Glow Dome for $17, 3 Zhu Zhu Pets for $4. each, various dvds for $5. and $10. each, and 4 XBox360 games. I spent about $200. total. Will probably go out again later this morning after we get some sleep.

Black Friday has gotten waaaay too mainstream. I mean, even Webkinz estore and games on Facebook are having BF specials tomorrow!!!! I also hate that the stores are opening earlier. It is really throwing off my BF routine. Now, I have to go to wal mart twice if I really want to hit the sale and price match since most of the other stores don't open till 4, 5, or even 6. But, I want to get the WM deals and price match some stuff that TRU has on sale. We will see how I do. Who knows, I just might end up staying up all night with my 13 yr. old son waiting in line for a computer or XBox. Will let you all know what we end up doing. Good luck out there everyone!!!!

Ours is delivered, so I just walk out to the mailbox/paperbox by the road and pick it up as soon as I get up in the morning, usually between 7 and 8.

Thats funny, because I am the opposite. I always hit Walmart and TRU on BF, but avoid Target. I guess it all depends on the store/city. For me, I always find what I want at Walmart and TRU, but I rarely find anything at Target and just end up frustrated. I even hit TRU later in the morning around 9 or 10 and still get what I want easily and without hassle.

Go to the Grove City outlet malls. I think they open at midnight again. They are close to your area. I think Greenville PA is also fairly closeby and they have a Wal Mart. I live in Erie County, which is about an hour away. Good luck and have fun. Edinboro, PA for wal mart, then on to Erie, PA for TRU, Millcreek Mall, and other stores.

Right now, I am listening to Christmas music and my husband is actually the one playing it for me!!!! Yes, the same husband that thought I was crazy yesterday when I got excited about Christmas music on cable. Here is the reason: dh's mom has some cassette tapes she wants transferred to cd's. Dh figured out how to download cassette tapes to the computer, then burn them to cd. So, he is experimenting with it with my Christmas tapes, yea!!!! He is on the second one and we have been listening to Christmas music all afternoon. Loving it!!! Also loving the fact that my cassette tapes will now become cd's that I will listen to more.

I also secretly listen to Christmas music early. My husband thinks I am nuts. Got excited today when I discovered the holiday music channel on cable is already playing Christmas music. My husband just shook his head and said, "oh no, I have to listen to this for 2 months". I said, yep. As for decorating, we decorate the inside of the house and put up the tree sometime over Thanksgiving weekend. My husband was thinking about putting lights up outside this week while the weather is still nice (cold, but sunny. Supposed to snow this weekend) This is our first Christmas in our new house and the first time he can decorate the yard.

I am patiently waiting for one of our local stations that plays Christmas music 24/7 over Nov. and Dec. to start. It hasn't yet, but the holiday music channel on our cable is playing Christmas music already!!! I'm happy.

Those are so cool!!! Brought back lots of memories of my childhood in the 70's. I will have to show my 11 yr. old daughter. I have told her about some of the toys and dolls I played with as a child. Now I can actually show her. Those prices are a hoot!!!! Sure wish they were like that now, lol. Under $10. for dolls, $25. for play furniture, wow. Thanks for posting this. Its great.

I don't take my kids out early, but when we get back from hitting wal mart in our small town, we head out to the mall in a nearby city. That too is a smaller city, so no big deal. Its usually around 9 am by then, so no biggie. They are already up. We do Toys R Us and the mall and the kids enjoy it. Last year, my 13 yr. old went to wal mart at midnight with his friend and his parents. His friend waited in line for a computer. It is a super center, so it was open. His friends mom works there and his dad was waiting for something else. I had no problem with it. My almost 12 yr. old dd said she wants to go to wal mart with us early this year, so I might let her and see how she likes it.

I PM every year at WM on BF, and have never had a problem. I usually do small stuff like DVDs, games, etc. I scope what I want from other stores, circle the ads, and take them with me shopping. It all goes very smoothly and quickly, never an issue. Saves me lots of time and money. I love it.

I am hoping to find a laptop and a DS lite, and hope to find both at wal mart. We always start our shopping at wal mart. I would wait in line from midnight there, inside, as ours is a super center and always open. Refuse to wait in the cold anywhere, lol.

10 yrs. ago, at my very first BF shopping adventure, I got a Little Tikes play kitchen for my kids for $35. Originally around $100. There were only 7 or so in the store and me and my friend were among the lucky to get it. I think it was at Ames store. Not even sure if those stores even exist anymore, lol. Anyway, we were visiting friends in the Chicago area for Thanksgiving. After dinner, we 2 couples decided to go out BF shopping the next day and planned on what stores to hit. I was so excited to get that kitchen so cheap. Was also excited that we managed to keep it hidden in our van until we got back home to Pennsylvania 2 days later. The kids never even knew about it, lol. After that, I was hooked on BF and have gone every year since. Love it!!

The Zhu Zhu pets were a hit at our house too. Dd 10 LOVES hers. She was so surprised and excited when she opened them. I think those are her fave. ds 12, so far his air hogs helicopter and his color changing Hot Wheels set. The Hot Wheels set was an impulse purchase on BF at TRU for only $12. Saw later that it is a $20-30. toy. ds 7 really loves his Madden 10 game for his PS2, and his train conductor dress up set. Don't ask, he LOVES to wear dress up clothes and has lots of sets from TRU. Anyway, it was a hit.

I know I overspent this year, but I don't care. This was probably one of the last years that all 3 of my kids still wanted toys, even my 12 yr. old. He is still into Hot Wheels and any cars. My kids are 12, 11, and almost 8, so I know in a year or so the 2 older ones probably won't be wanting toys anymore. So, I went overboard figuring this might be the last year to have Littlest Pet Shops and Hot Wheels stuff around the tree. I will really miss it when my kids outgrow toys. Thats the fun part of Christmas, lol. Dd and I had fun today playing a game of Littlest Pet Shop Mall Madness game, and I loved it when my 7 yr. old offered everyone Play Doh spaghetti and meatballs freshly made with his Play Doh spaghetti factory, lol. Ahhh, that is Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Thanks for everything. It was a great BF experience. Can't wait fill next year.